Selasa, 09 April 2013

Today's tattooed poet is Shann Ray, who sent us this photo of his tattoo:

He explains:

I got this tattoo the year I married my wife Jennifer, a bright fire of a girl who has only increased in incandescence. We've been together 27 years now and have 3 daughters. The lion symbolizes the mysterious sacred text notion that the lion is the inverse of the lamb. In the Christian tradition, Christ who was called the Lion of Judah appeared as a lamb that was slain. This is a reminder to me to sacrifice the self-embedded ways that sometimes arise in me and live with a generous and kind heart toward Jennifer for the rest of my life. The lion and the thorns remind me to help create the milieu of our marriage to be one in which Jennifer is deeply loved, respected, and given hope for each new day. What a life it has been with her! I still love this tattoo. It is like a secret kindness between us that reminds us all we share.

When I asked if he recalled the artist who did this, he explained,

"The guy did become famous for tattooing the stars. It was in Garden Grove down in the greater Los Angeles area. Can’t recall his name or the name of the shop. All tribal oriented tattooing."

By way of a poem, Shann sent us this:

NIGHT OVER THE SAPPHIRE RANGE, WESTERN MONTANA

Tomorrow you leadthe people in worshipbut tonight let me hear youin the quiet strength of our bedroomwhere I watch silver birds flyfrom your mouth and rememberhow you break me all the way down.